Sherman signs with Buccaneers ahead of Patriots matchup

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Richard Sherman has righted the ship with Tom Brady.

The veteran cornerback signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team announced on Wednesday. It is a one-year, $2.25 million deal, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Despite interest from other teams, Sherman opted to join the defending Super Bowl champions.

“I went with the best offer I had, the best opportunity to go out there and put some great tape on, to lead another group,” Sherman said on “The Richard Sherman Podcast.” “I feel comfortable and confident in my abilities to go out there and execute and help that team win.”

Sherman also said Brady reached out to him while he was mulling his free agency choice. The relationship between the two goes back to their first meeting, when Sherman’s Seattle Seahawks beat Brady’s New England Patriots and the cornerback went viral for asking the quarterback “You mad bro?” Sherman also used the phrase in a later-deleted tweet following the game.

The two also went head-to-head in Super Bowl XLIX. Following Malcolm Butler’s game-stealing interception at the goal line and the Patriots’ ensuing kneeldowns, Sherman congratulated Brady on the field.

“He's the all-time great quarterback reaching out, and anytime he makes that call, it's a very difficult opportunity to pass up,” Sherman said.

Now, the two are teammates leading into one of the most anticipated games of the quarterback’s career. Brady will make a homecoming trip to Gillette Stadium for the first time when the Bucs battle the Patriots on Sunday Night Football. Sherman’s status for the contest is still unknown.

Sherman was arrested on five misdemeanor charges in the Seattle area this offseason. The charges included driving under the influence and second-degree criminal trespass. 

The NFL has not taken disciplinary action on Sherman and the Bucs did their “due diligence” on his legal situation before agreeing to a deal, according to ESPN’s Jenna Laine.

The Bucs will be Sherman’s third NFL team. He spent the first seven years of his career with the Seahawks and last three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. Sherman said he contemplated a return to San Francisco before signing with Tampa Bay.

“Obviously I have a ton of love for the Faithful and the 49er fans, the 49ers front office and that team. You know, a lot of friends and guys I’m still rooting for and cheering for throughout the season,” he said. “Obviously still got a lot of friends with the Seattle Seahawks, but this was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I weighed all the options with my wife and my family, and this is what we came up with.”

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